To the Southwest

Well, it's about time to gear up another tale of Arthur and Alex's quest to experience some of the wonders of creation.  This time, the Grand Canyon.  Arthur's first encounter with the Grand Canyon occurred during a youth trip to California as a high school student, and ever since a rim to rim hike remained on his bucket list.  Now, as a career man with the means to fulfill that desire (and a wonderful wife perhaps even more ambitious for adventure than he), he returns to finish the job.

So it was that on a Thursday evening Alex and Arthur loaded up the car and headed out for adventure.  That night they stayed with Alex's parents, who marveled at Alex's itinerary for the trip while Arthur gratefully enjoyed Game 6 of the NBA Finals.  Friday was mostly consumed by driving, with entertainment provided by a carefully curated queue of podcasts as they appeared on the aforementioned itinerary.

So the miles rolled on, with a brief stop in Elkhart, Kansas, who, by virtue of their national grassland, hosts offices for the National Forest Service.  Alex wanted to purchase a yearlong pass to the national parks, a service not often performed by the Cimarron National Grassland, as it turns out.  Regardless, before too long we gave chase to the horizon once again.

As we went, grassy plains gave way to scrubbier vegetation.  Small cattle herds quietly munched in vast fields, somehow a mesa or rock formation ever behind them; Arthur's thoughts quietly drifted to old television shows like The High Chaparral and its epic theme song.  We both wanted to start our adventure, but the drive through such harsh yet beautiful country still lingers as a delightful memory.

We eventually reached Santa Fe and headed to the state capital building.  Perhaps no other capital building's construction better represents the mix of cultures in a state than New Mexico's capital building.  While state capitols established earlier in our history mostly emulated an architectural heritage brought over from Europe, a style I deeply appreciate, New Mexico's capital building, constructed from native materials, avoiding the columns and pillars I so often associate with state authority, and a "dome" modeled after Native art presents through architecture a very unique history of the intersection of several cultures that, while certainly not seamless and sometimes downright ugly, produced some points of optimism as well.  Arthur enjoyed the art dispersed on the side wings of the great building, Alex enjoyed some of the fabric arts just outside the rotunda.

After dropping our bags off at the AirBNB we would stay at, we walked down to the plaza for dinner.  Receiving excellent recommendations from our AirBNB host, we feasted on mole` and tacos as one of the finest eateries in a city known for fine eateries, and walked around the historic district.  Santa Fe, by virtue of its adobe construction, competes in several was with Europe as far as the feel of uniqueness.  Art shops proudly displayed wares of turquoise and silver, paintings of the Southwest, and sculptures of all varieties.  We wondered past some of the first churches constructed in what is now the United States, up a walk to a cross commemorating some of the martyrs of the pueblo revolt of 1680, an episode where the optimism of integration built into the capital was tragically not realized.   Our final stop was one of the downtown hotels which features a concert of Friday nights of Native American flute and Spanish guitar.  We lingered here listening to the soothing music before deciding to call it a day.

So it was that Arthur and Alex concluded their day, thoughts of wonders yet to be seen leading them to a night's repose.  Omnia Vincit Amour.